Material and method for sealing leaks in liquid-circulating systems



45 the liquid. Furthermore the fibers tend to I ging proceeds rapidly.Wh

'ing water heating systems,

Patented Feb. "4, 1930 UNITED I RALPH H. CHURCHILL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOISNo Drawing.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a material and a mode of useof such material for closing the small leaks which occur inliquidcirculating systems such as the cooling systems of automobiles. Itconsists in the combination of ingredients herein described and in themanner of utilizingthe same-herein set forth as indicated by the claimsIn many liquid circulating systems includand particularly the coolingapparatus associated with internal combustion engines in automobiles andother vehicles, there are frequently small leaks which do not interferewith the operation of the system sufliciently to justify any largerepair expense but which are a constant annoyance and may ous trouble ifnot remedied. This is espeis composed of many pieces of thin metalseamed or soldered together in such a way that slight crevices arelikely to open in the seams as the result of road vibration, corrosionor freezing of the circulating liquid in certain areas'of the radiator.i

Numerous compounds or mixtures have carried readily in suspensiontherein throughthese solid particles been devised and'markted which werein tended to be placed in and carried by the circulating liquid forsealing these small breaks from within. Most of these compounds includesome fibrous material in the nature of straw or lint which is expectedto mat and ck in the opening when carried to the point of the break bythe outflow of the leaking liquid, but these fibrous ingredients have aserious disadvantage intending to clog the entire system by catchingonany pro ect1ng' shoulderor obstruction to the direct flow of theliquid, or; even on the slightly roughened surfaces which may be causedby mineral deposits from the water on the interior walls of theradiator.

- cumulations at various-points in the system so as to seriously hamperthe proper flow of accumulate in bunches and travel in this form throughthe liquid and whenthese bunches of material are arrested at any pointthe clogthe system is Application. filed. January 11,

later-develop more sericially true in the automobile radiator which thesame thing will happen the seal thus .firmly cement them to each i928.Serial in. 245,905.

drained the plugs of packed or matted fibers at the leaks are likely tocome loose upon release of the water pressure, whereupon they will flowout with the liquid, leaving the breaks or crevices unsealed.Furthermore,

at the opening which it is intended to seal, the fibrous'material ifused in'combination with a glue binder or the like, may mat and pack andmay even tend to form into a fairly hard plug while the circulation ismaintained and the liquid is kept hot and while the air is being drawnthrough the radiator by the operation'of the usual cooling fan; but whenthe engine is stopped and the fan ceases to draw the air past theexposed plug at the leak,

'the water from the inside of the system will gradually soak through thefibrous plug and will re-dissolve the glue binder so that the leak isonly temporarily mended; of course v even morp rapidly with thosesealing compounds which use glue with fibrous matter.

My invention contemplates the use of a sealing compound which iscomposed of nonfibrous solid particles, preferably metallic in natureand therefore insoluble in the circulating liquid, but so finely dividedas to be out the system; and with I suspend'in the liquid a gum,preferably resinous in nature so that it may serve as a binder for thesolid particles when they accumulate at the leak.

A resinous gum while it maybe suspended in the circulating liquid ifintroduced therein in finely divided form. and while it may evendissolve to some extent when the liquid is warm, will harden andsolidify when it is exposed to the air at the opening constituting theleak, and as the moisture is evaporated from the outer surface of formedat the leak the resinous gum will become practically insoluble and willnot re-dissolve in thewater of the circulatingisystem. The seal ugbuiltup of the solid particles and the q comes permanent and if thesolid-particles are metallic their exposure to the outer air will induceoxidation which operates to more other and to the radiator surfaces.

inous gum beioo ' ject For the solid particles I prefer to use a finelydivided form of aluminum which is obtainable in minute flakes rated at120 mesh and smaller. As a result of the pulverizing process theseflakes or particles have an oily coating which would tend to interfereWith their cementation into a firm seal; therefore I prefer to treat thealuminum with a thick soap solution which cuts the oil from theparticles rendering them more readily sub to oxidation and cementationasabove noted, and facilitating distribution of the metallic particlesin the liquid of the system.

The soap solution is made with a resin soap which contains a suflicientquantity of resinous gum to neutralize the lye of the soap and an excessof resinous matter which will serve as a binder as already explained.After thoroughly intermingling the aluminum particles in the resin soapsolution I remove a portion of the moisture and press the mixture into afairly solid block which places it in convenient form for marketing andfor subsequent use. To repair the leaks in an automobile cooling systemthe user then' cuts up this block or cake into small chunks and siniplydrops them into the cooling liquid at the usual radiator filler opening.The small chunks will not disintegrate at once and some of them may evenbe carried directly to the leak and become caught at the point which isto be repaired; but if the entire block of material is thoroughly brokenup,; its ingredients will be carried in suspension in the circulatingliquid and will tend to accumulate and build up a seal at any smallopening through which the liquid is leaking. As already explained, therapid evaporation from the outer surface of the leak tends to dry andharden the resinous gum which in turn tends to bind firmly the solidmetallic particles into a very serviceable seal for closing the leak.

Frequently in cold weather the water in an automobile cooling system ispartially replaced with glycerine which is more penetrating than water.and tends to leak through much smaller crevices; it becomes necessary totighten. up all packed joints inthe system and even then the glycerinemay find openings in the radiator at ,which there was no discoverableleakage of water. A fibrous sealing plug which might be relativelyimpervious to water would-be inadequate to seal the system against theleakage of glycerine, whereas in compound of minute particles suspendedin the circulating liquid may even be carried into these minute crevicesin addition'to accumulating over them at the inner surface oftheradiator; thus these particles will form an efiective seal and plug:of hard ened resin' and insoluble matter which will retain the glycerineperfectly in the system.- Some of the crevices are in or adjacent theasbestos packing which is used in the joints of the System and which ofitself frequently 'tically without any binder themselves to plug .finely divided will promptly form sealing plugs at such points which willretain the glycerine in the system indefinitely. In fact, whereglycerine or like material is used as the circulating liquid, it isfound that the minute solid particles such as aluminum may be usedpracbecause they are carried in a colloidal state and will serve by vthe minute crevices through which the glycerine would otherwise tend toescape.

Oxidation of these minute exposure to the outer air and to the heat ofthe radiator serves to cement them together Without any additionalbinder. And the same is true in a water circulating system;

that is, the minute metallic particles are car rled in suspension by theflow of the liquid toward the small leaks, and if the aluminum or othermetal has been first cleaned of oil,-

or can be obtained free from oil initially, their own oxidation willcement them into an effective plug without other'binding material. Itmay be noted that almost any salt or fibrous material adhering to thewalls of a radiator by reason of the roughness caused by mlneraldeposits as above noted, will tend to act as a heat insulator, thusretarding the conduction and radiation radiator walls, whereas when mysealin compound is added to the circulating liqui the accumulation ofminute metallic particles of the compound on the radiator walls if theyshould be caught and held by thereof, would tend to assist radiationrather than hamper 1t, since the metallic particles w1ll readily conductheat from the liquid to any substance with which they are in contact. Iclaim y 1. A composition for admixture with the liquids ofcirculatingsystems comprising a leak sealing element consistingessentially ofsuspendable finely divided oxidizable metal, and aresinous binder.

2. A composition for admixture with the liquids of circulating systemscomprising a leak sealing element consisting essentially of oil freeoxidizable metal carrying a protective coating of soap. 4

3. -A- composition for admixture with the hqulds of circulating systemscomprising a leak sealing element consisting essentially of finelydivided oxidizable metal adapted to the roughness particles upon of heatthrough the be carried in colloidal suspension 1n said I system.

4. A composition for admixture with the of the amount liquids ofcirculating systems comprising a I leak sealing element consistingessentially of finely divided oxldizable metal, and a soap including aresinous material.

'5. A method of stopping leaks in liquid circulating systemscomprisingthe step of suspendingin the circulating liquid of said system, finelydivided metal particles adapted to flow into leaking orifices in saidsystem and to become there oxidized by exposure to the atmosphere.

6. A method of stopping leaks in liquid circulating systems comprisingthe step of mixing with the circulating liquid of said system, finelydivided metal particles and a resinous hinder said materials adapted toflow in suspension into leaking orifices in said system, the resinousbinder there entrapping the metal particles which are adapted to oxidizeupon exposure to the atmosphere. I

7 A composition for admixture with the liquids of circulating systemscomprising a leak sealing element consisting essentially of finelydivided oxidizable metal, and a detergent including resinous material inexcess required to neutralize alkalis present in the detergent. v

'- RALPH H. CHURCHILL.

